Boomkat: A band That Deserved So Much More.
As a young baby gay I discovered this interesting band featuring an actress that I had such a crush on. Her name was Taryn Manning and boiiii was I in awe of her. So imagine my surprise when I discovered she makes Trip Hop music with her brother Kellin. That was when I went on the search to hear this mystical music. Boii was I surprised when my ears instantly came from the BooMKat sound.
Taryn and Kellin Manning are the brother sister team that is Boomkat. The best way to describe their music is a mix of trip hop, pop,and pop rap. Taryn provided the lead vocals and raps, while Kellin was the man behind the beats. They also wrote all their songs together. They released their first single "The Wreckoning" on May 19th 2003 (UK release). That was 17 years ago today,I was exactly 11 years old at the time. So Happy Anniversary to their first lead single "The Wreckoning". Their debut album was entitled Booomkatalong.One and its hands down one of my all time fave albums. I have the CD and it was one that I bumped often. The album was a mix of pop rap (Now Understand This), slow R&B breakup song (Answers), electro-pop (The Wreckoning,Rip her to Shreds) and etc. It was a very diverse album and featured a little bit of something for everyone. The album peaked at #88 on the Billboard US Albums top 100. The reception was mixed, some really enjoyed it, others not so much. Despite that I am still surprised that the band is not talked about as much. They experimented with sounds and beats that contemporaries do in today's current pop ring. Is it possible that maybe just maybe the album was a little too experimental. Most of the album would not be on the radio today. Boomkat released their second album entitled "A million trillion stars" in 2009. The album was met with a more positive reception than the first. The album definitely had more hip hop/electronic elements. The album took 6 years to release, but its a quality album.
The point of all this info is that it just confuses me why their sound never really reached a wider audience. They had such a great image and musical sensibilities. Taryn has one of the most interesting voices, both whispery and light but also grainy. Her rhymes are not half bad either and Kellin's production is A1. Boomkat deserved so much more. They are technically still together so I hope for a new album soon.
Where to Listen to Boomkat:
Boomkatalong.One
A Million Trillion Stars
Also find them on Spotify and Google Play.
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